Tuberville steps down as Auburn coach
col. football
Tommy Tuberville stepped down yesterday after 10 years as coach of Auburn. Tuberville went 85-40 with Auburn, including a 13-0 season in 2004 when the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation and won the Southeastern Conference title for the first time in 15 years. But Auburn went 5-7 this year, and the Tigers' worst season in 10 years ended Saturday with a 36-0 loss to No. 1 Alabama. "The last 10 years have been a great time in my life, both professionally and personally," Tuberville said in a statement. "It's been a great place to coach and live, and we've had a lot of success along the way." Tuberville signed a two-year contract extension through 2013 after last season that was worth about $3.3 million annually. It also included a $6 million buyout if he was fired after this season. Auburn's statement said the buyout will be paid.
Notre Dame: : Coach Charlie Weis will return for a fifth year despite posting his second straight disappointing season. The Irish have lost 15 games the past two seasons, the most by Notre Dame in a two-year span.
Et cetera:: Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said the school is negotiating a contract extension with Mike Leach, amid reports the coach has met with Washington about the Huskies' top job. ... No. 15 Georgia Tech accepted an invitation to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. ... Southern Mississippi accepted an invitation to play in the New Orleans Bowl. ... Clemson was invited to the Gator Bowl, where it appears the Tigers will play Nebraska.
Judge blocks suspension of two Vikings players
nfl
A Minnesota judge temporarily blocked the NFL's suspension of Vikings stars Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy, but the players' status for Sunday's game at Detroit remained uncertain. Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson issued the temporary restraining order at the players' request, saying he wanted more time to hear arguments in the case. No further hearing date was set. The defensive tackles were among six players suspended for four games for testing positive for a diuretic that can be used as a masking agent for steroids. ESPN.com reported that the NFL Players Association will file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis today, seeking to overturn the six suspensions.
